Misunderstandings are the Keys to Communication
by Severus Draconis Potter
Summary: Challenge on Potion's and Snitches by Spiorad called 'Accidental Cut *No Slash* Remember when Harry broke Sirius mirror by throwing it in his trunk? Well what happens when Harry accidentally cuts himself and someone sees? Who sees? Do they tell someone? What happens to Harry? *References to self harm but Harry does NOT do that*


**A/N- This will remain a one shot, I just needed something to push me back into the HP universe after the death of Alan Rickman last month. It was surprisingly difficult to come back, I'd never grieved for someone I'd never even known. Anyway, I'm getting back to my writing so expect an update from one of my current stories soon!**

 **Misunderstandings are the Keys to Miscommunication**

Harry growled in frustration, making sure to keep it quiet as he didn't want to wake up any of the boys in his dorm room. He didn't want them asking questions that he couldn't really be honest with them except for Ron. The slight sixth year boy was troubled, and still grieving for his godfather who had disappeared into the veil about 4 months ago. It was hard to grieve for someone you didn't have a body to recover for. He felt that he would never get over all of the emotions that he currently felt.

As it was, Harry Potter was on his bed in his dorm room, holding the mirror his godfather had given him over and over in his hand. Earlier that week he had thrown it into the trunk and it had broken, making him feel even more horrible then he had already felt. He swallowed thickly as he ran his fingers along the edges. He couldn't believe he had broken such a special gift. He sniffled and moved one of hands to wipe away the offending tears that started to roll down his face only to stifle a curse as he realized the sharp mirror he was holding was coming with him.

He startled suddenly and winced as the mirror fell, and made its way back on its bed. He was happy to note it wasn't damaged any further, but worried as it had slashed his arm pretty good from the mirror itself. He swallowed thickly as he looked at the blood gushing in a small but steady stream from his arm. He shook his head and grabbed his robe from the floor to stench the flow of the blood before he went to pick it up with his other hand. He growled loudly when the mirror slipped through his fingers cutting up his palm as well as three fingers.

Now he was leaking blood anywhere, and he knew how bad this looked if anyone happened to wake up and pull back his drapes. He shook his head ruefully, he didn't know any good spells that would help this heal and if he had been on better terms with Snape, maybe he could have asked the man. But that would only happen if Sirius had magically come back from the veil so that was unlikely. Harry knew he couldn't stay in his dorm at the moment, he needed to get cleaned up, but he couldn't do it in the toilets here as it would wake up Neville or Dean.

They were the lightest sleepers and he knew Neville unlike Dean would never let the blood that he knew was on him; go. He had no other option but to head to the room of requirements, but without the added protection of his invisibility coat. He didn't want to risk getting blood on a priceless artifact and so he would be without it and the map. But hopefully as it was 2:00am, everyone would be mostly asleep. At least he hoped that would be the case, it wasn't.

Harry kept the robe on his arm, and pressed his other hand to it to staunch the flow before he quietly made his way out of his dorm room. The common room was the quietest he had ever heard but he wasn't bothered by it, it was a nice change. He made it out of the common room portrait noting that the fat lady was sleeping before he closed it behind him.

He could admit with a small shiver that the corridors in Hogwarts were a touch creepy this silent at this point in time. Without his cloak and map, he definitely felt exposed but luckily he knew where he was going. He winced as his injuries throbbed, and couldn't wait until he got to the ROR. Harry wanted to get there as quickly as possible and so he took a few secret passages that he knew would lead to a stairwell. The only downside was it closer to the dungeons then he would have liked; but he figured at this time there would be no Slytherins wondering about. As he went to turn the corner to head the stairs that led directly up to the 7th floor he gasped silently as he saw someone coming down the corridor.

He swallowed softly wondering whoever they were if they had seen him and if he could make it. The steps were literally in the middle of him and the approaching person who also had their wand lit. Harry had only a second to think on whether they were a teacher or student when the unknown person spoke and he swore for a moment that his heart stopped.

"Whose there? Show yourself," Severus hissed out in a dangerous tone as his eyes narrowed. He could see a small person; he was sure was a student slowly making their way towards the stairs. He knew it was beyond curfew and no one should be out of their bed, let alone their dorms this time of night. Which left the question, what the hell was this student doing?

Harry had a small moment of panic before his flight or fight instinct tried to kick in. He wanted to run but he was tired and he knew that Snape had longer legs and would no doubt catch him and thrash him good. If he didn't run there was a chance the man just gave him detention and then left him, which meant he would be able to attend to his injuries. He also knew that refusal to speak would also hurt him in the long run and so with a wince he stopped knowing the man was continuing his brisk pace towards him.

"It's me Professor," Harry said weakly as he braced himself for the man's scathing tone, and he wasn't disappointed.

Severus's lip curled at the voice, knowing exactly who this was and he honestly shouldn't have been surprised. Albus gave the boy no boundaries, which he guessed he was the way he was. Nonetheless this was the perfect opportunity for him to rack on the nastiest detentions and Minerva wouldn't be able to say anything as the boy was definitely breaking the rules now.

"And just what are you doing out this time of night Potter?" Severus started darkly his tone warning the child he wouldn't be allowing anything but the truth.

Harry gulped as the man came to stand directly across from him, thankful for the low light at this point in the corridor. He was so scared there were no witnesses right now as all the portraits were sleep and so Snape could practically kill him and no one would know.

"Nothing sir, I…I was just heading to the infirmary," he answered half truthfully. It was a bit of the truth; he was heading to an infirmary just not the one that Poppy normally ran. The room of requirement would give him whatever he wanted and he knew exactly what he needed. As it was, the robe was started to stick to the wound, and he knew it would hurt when he took it off. His hand throbbed painfully and he couldn't help the quick glance he gave his hand to see how it was. He didn't realize that his movement would give himself away.

Severus eyes narrowed on the boy's face in the little light that he could currently see. He was keep his own face shadowed as it had the added effect of making him even more menacing. He did note that the child did look a bit pale, but surely this could have waited until tomorrow. Severus made to say so when he saw those expressive green eyes shift down to look at something for a moment before they were back to staring at a point to the left of his shoulder. The potion's master brought his wand a bit closer to see what the child was looking at only to gasp quietly as he caught sight of the boy.

"Good gods boy, what have you been doing? Merlin, come on let's head to my office it's not that far from here," Severus stated quickly as he did a quick assessment.

From what he could see the child was pressing his robe to his arm which he knew to be bleeding, but he didn't know how bad it was. He needed to get where there was better light and he was thankful in that moment that Potter seemed to be so close to the dungeons. What was he doing going this way anyway? Had he been doing what Albus had suggested and seeking someone out? Severus shook his head before turning and walking briskly away.

Harry was stunned speechless as he dutifully followed his Professor down to the man's office. He wasn't sure why Snape seemed, dare he say it; concerned? He didn't want to draw any attention to the man's not so angry attitude so he just went with the flow so to speak. Once they entered the man's office he took a seat, eyes looking at the man in confusion as he saw the man summoning a house elf as the light spelled on.

"Please bring a pot of Camille tea, and a plate of chocolate biscuits up," Severus informed the elf as he quickly went into his potion's cupboard to get what he thought he needed. He would need to a thorough scan of the injury but that could wait. He didn't want the child to become skittish, he didn't even know what had happened. He had a hunch, but he wanted to confirm it. He sighed before he pulled a chair to the side of the child.

Harry was looking bewildered as Snape had ordered chocolate biscuits and tea for them? Had something happened and he was preparing him for something? He swallowed pensively as he watched the man taking the chair to the side of him instead of across the desk. He was getting a bit freaked out over here. Why was Snape being so nice?

"Professor, are you okay?" Harry asked quietly, even as he mentally braced himself for the man's sharp attitude.

"I'm perfectly fine P—Harry, help yourself to some tea," Severus stated calmly. He knew that in these situations one had to use the given name of the child. He wanted the boy to know that despite their past history, he would be able to help him.

Harry's eyes widened in alarm as he nodded quickly and grabbed some tea. He needed something to do with his hands. He winced as he accidentally used the palm and fingers that had been cut and went to bring it to his mouth to suck the hurt away only to freeze when he felt the Professor gently grab his hand first.

"You don't want to do that, germs are a real thing even in the magical world," Severus stated conversationally as he looked at the thankfully shallow cuts on his fingertips before his stomach dropped as he caught a look at the child's palm. The boy had been angry to do this, it was very deep, he could heal it but how did he know if there were more or not. He and Albus had definitely failed this child.

Harry watched the man cautiously, as he numbed his hand before the man was cleaning the wounds before pouring some other kind of potion on it before he bandaged it. Snape was being gentle, and while it was slightly creepy it was nice. He didn't know what brought it on, but he could honestly say he also didn't want it to end.

"Can you tell me what happened Harry?" Severus asked quietly as he bandaged the hand. It would be healed by the time he woke up tomorrow and it would leave no scar.

Harry flushed as he looked at the bandage in his hand, taking that time to grab a biscuit from the plate on the desk to stall for a bit of time. "I didn't mean to do it," he said quietly as he remembers how he had felt at the time.

Severus's heart pinched at the child's words, knowing the boy must still be grieving. He must have felt so alone if he would do something like this? Where in the world was Minerva, why hadn't she caught this?

"I know you didn't," he replied easily. He didn't want the child to get defensive knowing that would do more harm than good.

Severus saw this behavior from his Slytherins, but he had never thought that this particular boy would do it too. How long had he been doing this? And how in the hell could he be so blind? He wondered if it had to do with what he had seen in the boy's Occulmency lessons last year. He had informed Albus of what he thought might be some mistreatment but the old man assured him nothing was wrong. But what if Albus himself had been wrong? It wouldn't be the first time he ignored a child's mistreatment at home.

"I just, I felt so alone," Harry replied quietly as he bit into the biscuit silently. It was very good and in turn made him feel just a little bit better. If he could forget who he was talking too, it could almost make him feel like he was talking with a parent or…Sirius. He felt his face, shuttered a bit before he shook his head in denial. He didn't want to think of him right now.

Severus watched as the boy tried to shake the thoughts away, wondering if talking about this so soon was causing the boy some issue but it needed to be said. "I know I haven't been the best person to be around with and I know you might think I know nothing of what you're going through but I do. Won't you tell me Harry?" He asked the boy kindly.

Harry didn't want to admit it, but every time the Professor called him by his given name a piece of that stone he had been building around his heart the entire summer was breaking off. Snape actually sounded like he cared about it. Was the Headmaster right, was the Professor doing everything for an act? He scoffed inwardly wondering what was the real reason, even as he watched the man, carefully pull the robe back from the injury on his arm. This he couldn't help but hiss as it had been stuck like he had originally thought and it hurt.

"Oww," he whispered out softly.

Severus frowned aware that his actions were hurting the child, but it had to be done. "I apologize it's not my intention to cause you anymore pain tonight," Severus stated quietly as he set the robe on the floor before he poured the numbing solution onto the wound so he could start cleaning and bandaging it.

Harry's eyes watered for a moment as it took a moment for the potion to effect and sniffled softly as he grabbed his tea, calming immediately. He wasn't even mad that the man had clearly spiked the tea, but he hadn't even noticed it. He sniffled softly as he watched the man tend to his arm, he had been right. The mirror had really cut him deep, and he hoped it didn't scar.

"It's alright, it's my fault anyway. I shouldn't have been thinking about him, I knew that it would make me angry," he sniffled out despite the potion.

"Oh, it's alright Harry, grieving is a part of life. You shouldn't hold that in," Severus stated softly.

"Letting it out hurts, at least the way I do it no one gets hurts," Harry said referring to keeping everything in and ignoring it.

"No one but you, and that is the worst thing of all. This is not healthy for you, what happens if you keep it all in and something like tonight happens? Or worse?" Severus pointed out, he was going to get his point across. The child had to know that self-harming was not the correct way to deal with his emotions.

"I only do it when I know someone won't see me, tonight everyone was asleep." Harry pointed out, which was the truth. He only thought about Sirius when he was alone in his bed, aware of his mortality and the fact that he had no one to call his family.

Severus was stunned for a moment wondering if he should spell the child, like he had done to his Slytherins who had self-injured in the past. He sighed softly wondering if he could even get through to the child.

"Have you told anyone about this?" He asked, wondering if Granger or Weasley knew about the boy's habit.

"No, why would I? Hermione would tell a teacher and Ron wouldn't understand," Harry said quietly.

"I understand, and I would like if you feel like this again to come to my office. We don't have to talk about anything or we can talk about whatever you'd like," Severus added quietly wanting the child to know he was going to be here for him.

"But why are you doing this? Why now?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Because no one should deal with grief like this alone," Severus replied honestly.

Harry swallowed thickly as he looked down at his hands, the man had seemed like he cared. Especially with the way he had bandaged his injuries. He only hoped that Snape would continue to be this nice when the lights were up. He wondered if Ron would even believe him, as he knew he definitely had a story to tell.

"I will try," Harry finally responded.

"That is all that I ask," Severus said quietly hoping that the boy would be on the road to recovery and he would be here every step of the way.

 **A/N- The title says it all, it works better if Sev is unaware of the truth, his eyes arent as blinded as before.**


End file.
